Explosive shell.



E. A. HAWKS.

EXPLOSIVE SHELL.

APPLICATION FILED MA Y.22. |918.

1,305,967. Patented June 3, 1919.

atto/muts ltain new and useful Improvements in Ex.

-UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEE1oE.

EDWARD A. HAWKS, 0F DETROIT,-MICHIGAN.

EXPLosIvE SHELL.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. HAWKS, acitizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne andv State ofMichigan, have invented oerplosive Shells, of which the following isaspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.l

Theinvention relates to explosive shells designed for use asprojectiles' and more shells.

particularly to that type known as shrapnel Such shells are commonlyloaded with round balls or missiles comparatively small` in size whichare thrown out in all directions when the shell explodes. This whileproducing-a very destructive effect in .certain situations, iscomparatively ineil'ective in other situations, such as in use. 20

against aircraft. I have thereforel designed aconstruction in which Ihave replaced th balls with a load of relatively long missiles of ,smalldiameter, such as rods. These, when the shell explod, will be thrownoutward, and by reason of their long dimension will produce more of acutting eifect and vare particularly destructive of aircraft.

My invention is capable of many. specific embodiments, but as shownFigure 1 representsv a longitudinal section through the shell; and Fig.2 is a cross-section thereof.

A is a shell of usual exterior design and ,.providedas. its forward endwith the usual l fuse or tlmlng mechanism B, also with the powder loa'dC at its rear end. In the center or body portion of the shell arearranged the missiles D, preferably formed of rods of substantially thefull length of the chamber in which they are stored. At the center isthe tube E through which the vfuse F Vextends leading to the powdercharge.

With the construction as thus far described, when the shell is exploded,the high gaseous pressure which ruptures the outer case may also beeffective 1n hurlingA the rods laterally. I preferA however, to use inconnection with the shell a spreader E', which as shown is Specificationof Letters Patent.

preferably arranged Patented June 3, 1919.

.K Application led May 22, 1918. SerialNo. 235,921.

at the forward end of the compartment containing the rods. As thespreader is of conical form, when the outer case is ruptured the rodswill be forced over this cone withi the effect that they will be hurledin all directions. f

What I claim as my invention is: 1. The'y combination 'with an explosiveshell having a powder charge at one end thereof and the timing device atthe other end, of a load for said shell comprising a series of rodsextending longitudinally thereof and intermediate the powder charge andtiming mechanism. 2. The combination with an explosive shell, of apowder charge therein, a load comprising a series of rods arrangedlongitudinally of the shell, and means for spreading said rods upon theexplosion of the shell.

3. The combination with an explosive shell and a powder charge therein,of av load for said shell comprising a series of rods arrangedlongitudinally of the shell, and a conical spreader arranged at one endof Said shell.

4. The combination' with an explosive shell and a powder charge therein,of a load for said shell comprising a series of rods arrangedlongitudinally of the shell, and

.a conical spreader arranged at the forward end of said shell.

:5. The combination with an explosive shell, of a load thereforcomprising bodies lIn testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDWARD A. HAwKs.

of said bodies uporrexplosion

